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NPWZ - Neah Power Systems Inc.

About NPWZ

NPWZ Neah Power was founded in 1999, but CTO/founder Leroy Ohlsen had been thinking about alternative energy for years.
Inspired by a Discovery Channel science program on fuel cells and their potential, Leroy began to read and absorb the history and the science of fuel cells. Upon completing his chemistry degree from the University of Washington, he decided, along with fellow founder Michael Fabian, to start a company to pursue his dream of a “superior, longer-lasting energy source.”NPWZ Neah Power has grown to include a world-class engineering and scientific team from around the world. Prototype development continues and the company expects to make its energy products commercially available in 2012.

Neah Power Systems Inc.(NPWZ) is developing long-lasting, efficient and safe power solutions for portable electronic devices, including notebook PCs, military radios and other power-hungry computer, entertainment, and communications products.

NPWZ Neah Power Systems uses a patented, silicon-based design for its micro fuel cells that enable higher power densities to enable lighter-weight, smaller form-factors and lower costs.
This silicon-based architecture lets Neah Power use a componentized design so that a fuel cell can be tailored to meet each customer's needs, varying the components to achieve required power, size, and operating duration.
This exceptional flexibility and NPWZ Neah's ability to leverage the silicon industry's manufacturing technology set Neah Power apart.

It is difficult to fathom a more demanding power user than the military. Modern, effective soldiers have come to rely on increasingly sophisticated computational and communications gear. In fact, it’s been said that there are two limiting factors determining the length of mission: water and batteries.

The amount of water and batteries a soldier can physically carry often defines the duration of a mission and the likelihood of success.

These military devices require a dependable, lightweight, compact power source to extend operational runtimes. On top of this, the electronic equipment and power sources need to be able to perform reliably under harsh operating conditions in the field.

NPWZ Neah Power’s patented silicon-based fuel cell is expected to address these fundamental issues and provide a superior power source for all sorts of military applications. The Neah Power fuel cell is expected to provide two to three times the energy capacity versus the standard BA-5590 battery, while remaining in the same compact form.

Importantly, soldiers can benefit from the ability to continuously run their electronic equipment without the need to wait for recharging. Fuel cells can produce power as long as a fuel source is provided. When one fuel cartridge is exhausted, a soldier could simply pop it out and insert another one to continue the power supply. Instead of carrying multiple batteries, soldiers would only need to carry only one fuel cell and several lightweight fuel cartridges for continuous power capability (see below).

The BA-5590 is the U.S. Military’s most widely used portable power source, supporting hundreds of communication and computational applications in the field. Though proven, these batteries are big and bulky, and weigh soldiers down. Instead of carrying multiple batteries for extended missions, dramatic weight and volume reductions are possible by carrying one fuel cell and multiple cartridges (see below). Greater reductions are possible with longer missions.